Thieving Phantoms of the Opera
by Ramona Bandicoot
Summary: Things become complicated when Sly's world becomes the story of The Phantom of the Opera. When his friend and rival is kidnapped by 'The Phantom', he must do anything and everything in his power to save her before she becomes The Phantom's... forever.
1. Chapter 1: A Thief in the Opera

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch. The idea of Phantom of the Opera belongs to its rightful owner(s).

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_First off, just to be clear, this is based on the 2004 version of the movie NOT the 1925 or the '80's version! So, if you want to listen to some really good music, I suggest looking at that version of the opera. And it might make more sense if you do and haven't seen or read the book/movie. But on another note, this is different from my other stories. It's Sly's point of view and is a complete branch off of Ramona's missions. And I'm turning this into my Valentine's story since I have no oneshot ideas in mind. So please read and review and let me know what you think of it so far. (:_

Thieving Phantoms of the Opera

Chapter 1: A Thief in the Opera

I passed other opera goers calmly. Like myself, everyone was dressed neatly in suits and women were in elaborate dresses for tonight's big event. It was the opening night for the local opera house to professionally put on The Phantom of the Opera. Despite my dislike of operas, I had no choice. Bentley thought this would be a great way for us to get away from the troubles of recent heists but to me, sitting in a chair alone in the boxes high above the stage, listening to nothing but high pitched singing for three hours wasn't my cup of tea. Bentley had me steal three tickets a few nights ago and since I want too happy about the entire situation, I hadn't realized I had grabbed tickets for three different boxes. We decided to stay in a box and away from the regular seats so we wouldn't be recognized. Now we were separated and this night would be longer that I had wanted it to be. But I decided to suck it up and maybe I would find something to do if it got terribly boring. I waited in a line so I could enter the theatre and Murray's obvious outline was ahead of me seven or eight people. Bentley was somewhere behind me, lost in the crowd of people. I took my stolen ticket from my coat pocket and silently gave it to the usher at the front doors after waiting in the line. I was told to enter, go to the left, and follow the staircase to my box. I apparently would be alone inside and would have the entire box to myself.

I did what I was told and eventually found the staircase in question. They were large and painted a shining golden color. I had gotten half way up the stairs before I passed by a woman in an elaborate, baby pink dress. I had just passed by her and I heard her say, "Enjoy the show, Monsieur." I did a quick double take to take another look at the stranger before continuing my way up the stairs and to my seat. Like I was told at the entrance, I was alone in the box. I took a seat in the red, velvet chairs and the curtain closed behind me. I had never seen this opera before or really knew the story behind it but it was apparently an exceptional piece of work. I sat back in my chair and kept my eyes on the stage once the play started. The first scene was apparently a flashback of some kind and I didn't really find anything that exciting until they started to raise the 'repaired' chandelier and the loud opening music started. They play proceeded and I watch, somewhat interested. Realization hit me when I realized the woman playing the main character, Christine, was the same woman I had passed by when I was making my way to my seat. The woman was fairly young and had an amazing voice. They weren't using microphones but I could hear everything the woman said and sung. I sat forward in my seat when something else about the woman caught my attention.

Being a creature of habit, I never went anywhere without my binocucom. I search behind me a few times before pulling it out of the inside pocket of my jacket and looking though it. I zoomed in on the character Christine and my jaw almost hit the floor when I realized that woman was Ramona. I put away the binocucom and couldn't help but wonder what she could have possibly been doing on stage. The only reasonable explanation I could think of was that she had to have had her eyes on something to steal. Or there was an entirely different side to her I didn't know about. And of course after figuring this out, I paid close attention to see what she could be getting at and to hear her sing. I had known Ramona for a while and I knew she was an exceptional pianist, violinist, and who knows what else, but I had no idea she could sing. A couple of hours passed and the opera was starting to come to an end. I had planed my arms against the banister to the box to get a slightly closer look at the opera and I could help but try to think of what would come next. I watched in fascination as the mask of the mysterious man was swiftly ripped away and the crowd started screaming in horror at the man's face. It was so distorted and disfigured, it was hardly recognized as a face. I kept watching as the Phantom quickly grabbed the horrified Ramona by her waist and but the rope to the chandelier before kicking a lever which released a trap door. I watched as Ramona and the Phantom dropped twenty feet through the trap door and through a hole in the stage and quickly disappeared. I heard her scream before the sounds of a crashing glass smashed against the floor and the form and sounds of the young woman disappeared from the opera house permanently.

A while ago I had figured the first section of 'guests' were actually actors playing the parts of the opera viewers and the chandelier was placed in such a way that when it crashed, no one was hurt. The curtain closed briefly to change the scene and I still tried to figure out what Ramona could have stolen. I was starting to get the impression that this was something she did for fun until I remembered that they were using an imported crystal rose as a prop. An extremely stupid decision in my opinion, but that had to have been what she was doing there. The curtain opened a moment later and the music started playing. But when the actors were supposed to come back out, no one appeared. Minutes passed and still no one had appeared on stage but the director.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he started, "we apologize for the delay. It seems that a few of our actors have…disappeared. But don't worry! This will continue shortly!" he quickly exited the stage before I heard someone shriek, "Thieves!" from someone in the back. I figured Ramona had made a run for it with the rose and someone had finally caught on.

I glanced across from me and could see Bentley in the box across the way. He motioned with his head for us to exit and I started out the door. I quickly made my way down the golden steps and decided not to stick around incase the police decided to show up. I decided that before meeting back up with Bentley and Murray, I would stop by and see Ramona to congratulate her on her performance on stage and swiping the crystal rose from a crowed opera house. I walked calmly down the street and after a while, I spotted a familiar woman, dressed in a baby pink gown, leisurely stroll down the nighttime streets. I jogged up behind her silently before speaking.

"I have to say, Mademoiselle, that was an excellent performance you pulled." She turned around swiftly and relaxed when she realized it wasn't an officer or opera house management.

"Well I do appreciate that. And I take it that you did enjoy the performance?" she questioned as we continued strolling down the silent streets.

"What I saw of it." she snorted a quick laugh.

"It was mean that you didn't get to see the end of it, wasn't it?" she lifted and eyebrow after her question.

"Cruel," I gave her a look of false hurt before continuing, "You stole the crystal rose, didn't you?" I already knew the answer but I was in desperate need of a conversation started.

"I did. And I have to admit, that had to have been one of the most fun and entertaining heists I've done." I chuckled and she continued.

"Can I ask you something?" I already knew I'd get for saying this but I did anyway.

"You just did." And just as I had expected, she punched me in chest. It wasn't and angry punch but even for a small person like her, she packed a punch.

"I'm serious!" she said through a laugh and I regained my balance, "I think I already have an answer, but I want to be sure. Have you been leaving single roses and notes at my apartment lately?"

"Nope, sure haven't. I've only sent you roses on your birthday and every time it's a dozen, never any singles. It sounds like you have yourself a secret admirer, Ms. Bandicoot."

"It'd be better if it was but it's more like a stalker. He's not leaving the roses on my door, he's leaving them in my bedroom and I don't know how he's getting in. I lock everything and I've changed the locks at least five times and haven't given anyone a key, not even the manager at the apartment complex. It's starting to creep me out, to be honest."

"He's getting inside your apartment?" I repeated. She nodded quickly before again stating that she kept her doors and windows securely locked, "I don't know what to tell you. I mean I can check your locks if you want me to but I honestly don't know how he's getting in."

"Do you mind?" I shook my head and she quickly ushered me to her apartment complex. Being a man who had left her dozens of roses time and time again, I knew there would have to be someway to get it. But she had a complex lock on her glass door that I even have trouble getting open sometimes.

I followed her down the streets, though the front doors of her complex, up the elevators, and finally to her front door. She pulled her keys out of her purse and showed me the front door was tightly locked. She eventually unlocked the door and we stepped inside. After the door was closed, I noticed she had two key locks on her door that would indeed be hard to crack without leaving a scratch. I looked them over and saw no sign that they had been forced open. She headed towards her room to change and I looked at the locks on her glass door. The handle was locked along with the deadbolt and the turning lock I had trouble opening. Her windows were just as secure and I was stumped.

"There's another one!" she shouted from her bedroom and I swiftly entered the room. And just like she said, there was a single red rose on her pillow and a hand written note was attached to it by a black satin ribbon. She handed me the flower and I over looked the note. I realized that all was written on the note was one of the lyrics from 'The Music of the Night'.

"Do all of them have messages like this?" I placed the note on the bed and she quickly opened one of the drawers in the nightstand.

"All of them do." She said as she handed me a small pile of notes that all had lyrics from the same song on them. I also noticed they were all signed, 'O.G.'.

"And they're all signed that way. That rose wasn't there when I left so he's been here since I've been gone."

"I don't know. Everything's secure and I can't think of how he's getting in. But listen," I handed her the notes back, "let me know if this happens and again and I'll see if Bentley can get some kind of camera or something set up in here to catch the guy in the act. She sighed and thanked me anyway. I decided that I needed to find a way to get her mind off of the notes.

"Now was that really you're voice or some kind of voice modulator?" she giggled softly before answering.

"Trust me, that's my voice. There's no point of singing if you're going to use a machine to tune it and make it sound good." She commented after sitting on her bed, her dress poofing up in the process.

"Well then it is very impressive. I'll let you get ready for the night and I'll go back home before Bentley thinks I got arrested." She nodded and I quickly ruffled her hair before making an exit out of her apartment and back to my own hideout. As I made my way home, I couldn't help but think of the mysterious notes that she had been getting.


	2. Chapter 2: A Thief is Stolen

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch. The idea of Phantom of the Opera belongs to its rightful owner(s).

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

I really am glad to change up the chapter stories I write and hopefully other people do too. And again, I know a majority of this is based on the real book/opera but I'll add some different twists to it after it starts picking up in the next few chapters. So please read and review and let me know what you think of it so far. (:

Chapter 2: A Thief is Stolen 

My eyes scanned the local newspaper and just about every major story in the paper somehow involved the recently stolen crystal rose Ramona had taken a few days ago. Since then, the police had searched the opera house numerous times and still hadn't figured out how she had done it. Being a thief myself, it didn't take that long to figure out how she had pulled a nearly seamless theft. When she was towards the end of the opera and she and the man who played the Phantom had just finished the scene 'Point of No Return', they had intentionally fallen through a trap door for the next scene to start. I had pieced together that after she had gotten through the floor, she still had the rose in her possession when she simply took the back way out the building. The managers only figured out what had happened after she was in the clear. I put the paper down after finishing an article on the theft before walking into our small kitchen.

"Is the opera house theft still in the papers?" Bentley inquired from the kitchen. I sat at the table and nodded.

"Yeah, the police are baffled." I chuckled out. He nodded and sat across from me.

"Do me a favor," he started after he was situated, "go over to her apartment and see if she'll help us on a job. Having two people sneaking in somewhere is always better than one." I gave a quick nod, grabbed my cane from beside the door, and headed outside. It felt fairly decent outside, even if the presence of early winter was obvious. I stuck to side streets and rooftops to avoid being spotted but I was still caught off guard when I heard a voice behind me.

"Cooper!" I spun on my heels, expecting to see a police officer of some sort, but was instead greeted by Ramona's older brother, Sitka, "Come here for a minute." Even if I wasn't standing next to the raccoon, it was obvious he wasn't in a good mood. Despite my wariness of the frustrated man behind me, I did what I was told and walked over to where Ramona's brother was standing. The minute I got within arm distance of the man, he grabbed my by the neck and slammed me against he brick wall of the nearby building. I felt the vibrations travel up my spine and even in my teeth and he still had his arm with a death pin on my neck.

"Now I'm only going to say this once so listen," his voice was low and threatening, "I haven't seen, heard from, or heard anything about my sister in the past two days. You were the last one to see her and I want to know where she is." I knew he was protective of every single one of his siblings but I had no idea he could get this threatening.

"I have no idea where she is," I said as best as I could. With his arm pressing against my throat, it was hard to breathe and not to even mention talking, "The last time I talked to her was the night she stole the rose. I left her in her apartment and she was getting ready to go to sleep. I haven't seen her since." I tried to pull his arm away from my neck, but he was larger built than I was and let's face it, I'm not Murray, "I can go by her apartment to see if she's there but I had nothing to do with her not coming into contact with you."

"Don't you think I've already gone to her apartment? You can check but I doubt they're be anyone in there," he loosened his grip slightly, "Now if I get any information tying you to her being gone, you will hear from me again." He released me entirely before turning sharply to the left and striding away. After he was out of sight, I bolted for Ramona's apartment. I hurried for two reasons. One, after being threatened by her older brother, I wanted to figure out what was going on. And two, if she hadn't gotten in contact with her own brother then something very serious could have happened to her.

I was almost out of breath by the time I had run the entire mile and a half to her apartment window. I knocked on her glass door multiple times before peering in. The inside looked like it normally did but there was no one inside. I knocked again and was again greeting with nothing but silence. After knocking a third time and got no reply, I picked the multiple locks on the door and cautiously walked inside. The living room lamps were on and that was about it besides the heater. Everything had an eerie silence and there were no signs of life anywhere. I noticed her keys and purse on the kitchen table from where she had left them the other night so she hadn't gone anywhere so where was she?

"Ramona?" I called out into the apartment but I still had no reply. I searched her kitchen and living room and still didn't spot the raccoon. I walked silently towards her bedroom and knocked on the door just to be sure that if she was in there I didn't walk in on her. After knocking and still had no reply, I entered the half-lit bedroom. Like the rest of the house, it was empty and the only source of electric light was the bathroom. I knocked on the bathroom door and was greeted with silence. I stepped inside the small bathroom and noticed there was a tub full of water inside. I quickly dipped a finger in the water to see if it had been recently run, but the water was ice cold. It was obvious her apartment was empty and no one had been inside for the past few days.

I stepped back into her bedroom and noticed that another rose had been left on her pillow. This one had obviously been sitting there for a day or so due to the wilted petals on the rose. I picked up, avoiding the thorns, and read the handwritten note. This, like the others she showed me, had the noted tied to the flower by a black satin ribbon and the note was written in black ink. Also, like the others, it had the lyrics to Music of the Night, but this had the final two lines of the lyrics written on it.

_You alone can make my song take flight_

_Help my make the music of the night._

_-O.G._

All of the notes were signed the same way, with the initials O.G written on them. I remember that from the opera, the phantom would sign a letter with those initials and they stood for 'opera ghost'. But that was a fictional novel turned opera, it couldn't possibly be turned real. I pocketed the note and locked up her apartment before heading off for my own home. I decided I would ask Bentley to overlook the handwriting on the note and see if he can pin it to someone in the police database. This entire ordeal was out of the ordinary and strangely connected to the opera I had seen a few days ago. I slowed down after finally reaching my front door and I opened it quickly. Bentley was sprawled out on the couch, typing away furiously at his laptop.

"Did you ask her?" he looked up after I had entered our small home.

"I can't find her and neither can her brother," I leaned against the back of the couch, "She's been out of contact with him since the night of the robbery and when I went to her apartment, it looked like she just disappeared. Everything was in place; nothing looked like it was stolen. She had bath water still in the tub and it didn't look like anyone had been in it. She told me she had been getting notes from someone inside her apartment and there was another one when I went in there." I took the note from my pocket and handed it to Bentley. He looked over it and his eyebrows knitted together when he looked at it and I knew what he was thinking, "Is there any possible way you can look into this and see if it matches any handwriting in the police systems? Maybe figure out who's leaving the notes?"

"It's possible," he looked over the note and then to his computer. I waited while Bentley did his analysis and could only hope he would find a lead which could lead us to Ramona.

"Sorry Sly," he muttered after a while, "no matches. But where the initials are signed, you can faintly read 'Opera Ghost'. To me, it sounds like someone is playing out the role of the phantom. If that is true, then we have a serious problem. In the actual opera, the phantom is madly in love with the character Christine and wants to marry her. So if that's what we're dealing with now, Ramona's life is in danger. And even if it plays out like the actual opera, that doesn't mean that's how it'll end. At the end he lets her go and if this guy, whoever he is, truly thinks he loves her, he's not going to go through the trouble of trying to be with her if he lets her go in the end."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" he was right, whoever this guy was, wasn't going to give her up easily.

"Nothing right now," I shot him a confused look and he quickly finished his sentence, "if this guy plans to perform this like The Phantom of the Opera, then he'll return her to the surface to let her do whatever before taking her back down." I nodded and starting to head for the chair across the room before Bentley caught my attention again.

"Before I forget, you got a letter while you were gone," he handed me the envelope, "I don't know who it's from but it's addressed to you." I opened the letter and just like the notes Ramona had gotten, they were hand written by the unknown 'O.G'. It had one to the point message that was completely unsettling.

_She belongs to me!_

_-O.G._


	3. Chapter 3: Stranger Than She Dreamt It

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch. The idea of Phantom of the Opera belongs to its rightful owner(s).

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

I know this chapter is a little shorter than the other two but my goal for this story is to make the chapters longer so I'm working on it and another goal is to get past 11 chapters! And I know this story doesn't have as mush action/mystery but this should be the only 'dull' chapter in this entire thing so please read and review and let me know what you think.

Chapter 3: Stranger Than She Dreamt It

I folded the note again and returned it to its envelope. Along with Ramona mysteriously disappearing, the man who I suspected had something to do with her disappearance knew about it. Whoever it was certainly did their research. I took the note I had gotten and the note I had retrieved from Ramona's house and headed for the door. I figured that if her brother knew that I had gotten a note myself then that would take his suspicions away from me. Whatever was going on in the city and with the 'Opera Ghost' certainly wasn't going to end quickly or easily. My feet carried me swiftly through the late afternoon streets of Paris. Shops were starting to close and people everywhere were getting ready for the big show taking place in the opera house tonight. While I still had the chance to slip past unseen, I took the route by the opera house; deciding that would be the faster way. I ran past the front of the building and by a sewer grate but stopped. Maybe it was just me, but I was pretty sure that voices shouldn't be heard from sewer grates late in the afternoon. I stopped running and knelt down by the sewer and listened as carefully as I could. There were two people down there, one male and one female, and just to add to the strangeness of the entire situation, they just had to be singing the music from The Phantom of the Opera.

"And in the boat there was a man," the sound of the woman's voice could be clear as day and it only took a few seconds for me to realize who it was. How Ramona managed to get from inside her apartment to deep in a sewer was a mystery to me, but then again the past few days have been completely out of whack. I shook my head and listened again when her voice could be heard through the metal bars of the sewer grate.

"Who was that shape in the shadows, whose is the face in the mask?" she was still singing and I heard the male figure start yelling something. I was interrupted from my eavesdropping when I heard someone start yelling at me. I stood and was again met with a rather annoyed Sitka Bandicoot. I cursed under my breath when I realized he started picking up speed.

"I need to talk to you Cooper!" he shouted from a short distance down the street, "Do you think this is funny?" he was steaming with rage and I could faintly pick up the outline of a note in his fingers. I assumed that 'the phantom' had also left him a note like the one I received. He was within arms reach of me in minutes but I was thankful I didn't get slammed into another wall.

"Look," I stated when he clamed down slightly, "I had nothing to do with your sisters' disappearance. But I got a note also; whoever this is knows obviously knows about the both of us and is telling us he's not going to give her up easily." I took both notes out of my pocket and handed them to the irritated man, "I had Bentley compare the notes and the handwriting is identical to the notes Ramona was getting." He stared intently at the notes and eventually calmed down enough to listen to reason. He huffed and handed me the notes back.

"Alright, I buy that. But you're still not off the hook until I see her again and get it from her mouth that you had nothing to do with it." I nodded and could somewhat see where he was coming from. He was worried about his younger sister and trying to protect her, "What are you doing by the sewers anyway?" he broke my train of thought and I remembered why I was standing here in the first place.

"Listen," I pointed to the grate and we both listened as best as we could to the voices that were still being emitted from underneath the city.

"Come," I heard the man speak, "we must return. Surely your brother will be missing you." Then we heard nothing.

"Whoever took Ramona has her down there with them." I muttered after no more voices came from the sewers.

"And he's bringing her back for the moment. I'm going to her house and see if she's there. If you find anything else, you had better inform me." He pointed a finger at my face before taking off in the direction of his sister's house. After he was gone, I took off for my house to update Bentley. I ran faster than I did on my way down to the opera house to begin with. The way I figured it, things were starting to get better if she was being returned to the surface. However, if this guy was trying to play out the role of the phantom, then there was no telling if and when she would be taken back down underneath the city.

I was out of breath by the time I had gotten back to the hideout and the last thing I wanted to do tonight was go back out on a run. I sat down in a chair sitting across from the couch and propped my feet up on the coffee table. Bentley hadn't moved since I had left. He was still sprawled out on the couch and I could hear Murray in the kitchen looking for something. I got to thinking while I started to relax. If I researched how the play went, then I might be able to alter some things that would work out for us in the end.

"Hey Bentley," I turned to his direction and he looked up from his typing, "What happens to Christine or what happens next after she was returned to the surface?"

"I take it Ramona must have been returned? Well, I know the opera diva, Carlotta, looses her voice because on a phantom stunt. I don't know if that helps." I raised an eyebrow at his comment and got to thinking.

"That name has a striking resemblance to a police officer, doesn't it?" he nodded before turning on the television.

"And the phantom has gotten to her already." He turned it to the news and it was showing a rerun of a press conference from earlier today, "Right in the middle of her press conference about the opera house theft, her voice goes absolutely crazy." I watched the news rerun from my chair and tried to piece together what Bentley was trying to say. That didn't take long though.

Inspector Fox sat at a press conference along with the chief of police and the topic was the opera house theft. You could tell by the expression on her face that she was getting irritated at the amount of questions coming from reporters. From the clip they were showing again, they were currently at a break and getting ready for the next round of questions. She took a drink from her water bottle before the questions started flowing in like a swarm of bees. One of the reporters asked if the police had any leads on who took the crystal rose or where the location of it currently is.

"We have an idea on the thief but the location is still-" her next word, or gasp if you will, went deep and it sounded like she had a literal frog in her throat. She clamped a paw over her mouth and various gasps could be heard in the crowd. When she attempted to speak again, the same thing happened. She went running from the press conference, shouting something in Spanish. The rerun stopped playing and the news reporters started commenting. I looked at the screen and in the top right corner you could make out a figure, dressed completely in black, with a cape and white mask covering half of his face. I sighed and hit the power button on the television.

"Well it's obvious Sly," Bentley said after I sat back in my chair, "Someone's playing out The Phantom of the Opera and they've turned Ramona into their Christine." I nodded and sighed.

"You have any ideas?" he closed his laptop and the wheels in his head starting turning.

"Well, you said Ramona was returned, right?" I nodded, "Then go talk to her and see if she can tell you anything that would help. If we can catch this guy, it'll end everything." I sighed and stood up again. Even though I didn't feel like going out in the dark after going around all day, I figured it was important enough. I stretched a few times before starting out in a sprint for Ramona's apartment. Bentley was right though, if we could get rid of this guy, all of these problems would be over. My only two concerns were if we could actually pull it off and for Ramona's safety.


	4. Chapter 4: The Threat is Real

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch. The idea of Phantom of the Opera belongs to its rightful owner(s).

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_Well, this one is shorter than I had planned. (Since it has a lot/mainly dialogue) And it has explanations in it but something MAJOR in the plot happens next chapter so if you found this chapter boring as well then I'm sorry but you do have next chapter to look forward to. So, please read and review and let me know what you think._

Chapter 4: The Threat is Real

I heaved in a breath after I finally reached Ramona's balcony halfway across town. I noticed the curtains were drawn tightly across the sliding door as I tapped on the glass. There was silent on the other end, but the curtains moved slightly. I heard the locks click open before the door slid open forcefully and I was yanked inside. I regained my balance while hearing the locks click again before I felt two arms pull me into a bear hug. It took me a few seconds to realize it was Ramona, but it registered eventually. I hugged her back before she let go and checked the window again.

"Waiting for someone?" I asked with a laugh as she snorted and released the curtains.

"More like avoiding someone." I followed her as she flopped on the couch and sighed. I decided that small talk would get us no where and getting straight to the point would be better.

"Well, you came back in one piece so that's a plus. So, what happened? Where'd you go?" I leaned back and I watched as she thought.

"I don't really know. I know I went somewhere in the sewers but I don't know how I got there. I remember you leaving and I went into the bathroom to get a bath. I started running the water and then I went into my room to get some night clothes. That's when I noticed there was another rose and note on my bed, different from the one I showed you," she paused as she tried to remember everything, "and then I remember being in a passageway. And I was with someone, and I know this is going to sound stupid, but he was dressed like The Phantom. I have no idea how I met him or how I got down to the sewers; I remember walking down countless flights of stairs. But the strange thing about it, besides being there in the first place, was that he was actually singing the music from the play. And he said it was either sing along or 'bad things would happen up above', so I sang along, not that I really wanted to."

"Then it just got stranger," she resituated her way on the couch before speaking again, "Just like in the opera itself, there was a boat, a lake, candles, an underground lair, if that's what you want to call it. Then I guess I either fell asleep or blacked out since I don't really remember what happened after that but I remember waking up and I wanted to know who the guy was. So, I took his mask off and he went ballistic. Then after that, he took me home. Then Sitka came by and now you, the entire thing was just…odd."

"Did anything else happen?" she nodded and replied by lifting her paw. I felt my eyes grow wide when I spotted and medium sized engagement ring resting on her ring finger.

"He said that he wants to marry me and all this crap. I don't know the guy and I surely don't want to marry him! I can't this stupid thing off!" she pulled at the ring and she was right, it wasn't budging, "And then he showed me the wedding dress her already had picked out for me and he said that he'll come back in a few weeks to let my family know before he takes me back down so we con be 'bonded forever' or whatever he said.

"What if you just leave the city for a while? It couldn't hurt, maybe he'll leave you alone and this can fade away." She violently shook her head.

"No, you don't understand. He won't let me go; wherever I go, he goes. If he finds me again, it will never end. He told me that it was either start a new life with him or everyone I know and love will be sent to their grave! I don't know what to do and I'm terrified. I don't want to do it but I know deep down that I don't have a choice." I could see tears forming in her eyes before she allowed her head to fall in her hands. I put a paw on her shoulder and rocked it back and forth before speaking.

"We'll figure something out." her head shot up and she moved her bangs out of her face.

"How am I supposed to get out of this? If I refuse him, people die. If I agree I'm doomed to spend the rest of my life with a crazed stalker. No matter what I choose no one can win." She stood up from the couch and headed for the kitchen. I followed her to the sink and watched as she filled the sink with hot water and soap.

"I don't know, I honestly don't know. You always have the knack of getting out of these types of situations and you'll figure out a way to get out of this one." she sighed as she stuck her paw in the water.

"I hope so. And I'm getting this ring off one way or another. I have tried just about everything possible and it won't come off! I tried butter, soap, oil, twisting it, water pills to reduce fluid. I even tried dieting to see if my finger size will go down but ten minutes after that decision I got hungry and ate a burger so that's not going to work." I snorted and leaned against the counter.

"You said you took his mask off, do you know who he is?" she twisted at the ring but nothing happened.

"The same guy that played the phantom from the opera the other night, Erik something or another." She waved her free hand in the air like she was brushing the thought away.

"Then get the police to arrest him for kidnapping. You know he's somewhere in the sewers."

"Well, it's not in the sewer part of the sewer, if that makes sense. It's not where the waste goes, but lower. And I don't remember how to get into that part of the sewers. I still don't know how he got in my apartment and he was standing in my bedroom when I met him." she pointed towards her room, "And I saw the news so I know what he did to my sister." she fumbled with the ring again and to mu surprise, it eventually was pulled off.

"What then!" she said happily as the ring slipped off her finger and into her open palm. I watched as she took the ring to her glass door and swiftly opened the door before chucking the ring off her balcony. She kept the curtains slightly parted as she peered out.

"I have to find something to take my mind off things or I'm going to go insane staying in here all the time." She muttered after I had walked behind her, "You have any suggestions?" she looked at me sideways and I shrugged.

"I swear if I could go a year without something as crazy as this happening to me, I will march myself down to the police station and spend a month in jail." She shook her head before muttering something else.

"Well, don't take this offensively but I don't think you can sugar coat this," she shot me a raised eyebrow, "but you attract some of the strangest people." Her eyebrow went higher.

"Sly, _you're_ attracted to me." She laughed and walked back into the kitchen to drain the water while I thought of a comeback. She was right but I never figured she would catch onto it, but then again she wasn't an idiot.

"Well," I replied after finding a rather pathetic comeback, "it's different."

"Do explain!" she shouted from the kitchen. I walked to the other side of her breakfast bar.

"The guys you're talking about are attracted in a relationship type way. On the other hand, I'm attracted in a more of a…well basically in a…brother-sister type relationship." By the expression on her face I knew she didn't buy it and I didn't expect her to. She walked to the side I was standing on and stopped next to me.

"I grew up with eleven brothers and sisters and I can tell you right now," she paused and placed a paw on my shoulder, "a brother doesn't kiss a sister like you do." We both snorted and she headed for her living room

"You get kidnapped and brought to a sewer but you never manage to loose snappy comebacks, do you?" she shook her head and I strolled to the glass door, getting ready to leave and let her enjoy the rest of her night at home.


	5. Chapter 5: Masquerade

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch. The idea of Phantom of the Opera belongs to its rightful owner(s).

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

And again, I'm sorry this is short but I wanted to get this chapter out today. I won't have access to the internet until the 11th and I wanted to go ahead and get this chapter typed and uploaded. But like the last chapter there is a lot of dialogue but there is action towards the end. So, please read and review and let me know what you think about it or any suggestions you have on how I should write the next chapters. (Structure wise, I already have the story planned out.) (:

Chapter 5: Masquerade

Just like when The Phantom of the Opera was being performed at the local opera house, the streets were packed with opera goers. However, there want a play that attracted the people, it was a masquerade ball. People from all around were dressed in dresses, suits, and or course masks. Bentley and I decided that there was a chance that the phantom, like in the actual play, would show up at the masquerade if Ramona was there. We had no idea if she would even be there, but we decided to go just incase we did. Bentley would keep surveillance around the area and I would make sure Ramona stayed out of trouble if she was there. My worries had been slightly relieved recently since we haven't heard or seen from the phantom in a couple of weeks. I doubted he had forgotten about her, but was planning someway to get her back. I entered the opera house and finished tying off my mask before meeting Bentley on the opposite side of the room. This place was certainly crowded and spotting specific people from the mass would be complicated.

"Keep an eye out for both Ramona and the Phantom. They could be anywhere and if she's here, make sure she stays out of trouble." Bentley muttered as we strolled though the crowds of talking opera patrons.

"Happy to oblige." I said with a chuckle. He smirked himself and my curiosity was heightened.

Already having an idea of what he was getting at, I branched away to do my job. I casually strolled my way through the crowds, looking for my targets and anything remotely interesting to do. There were tons of people around, chatting loudly, dancing in the ballroom to my left, drinking champagne like it was water, or simply strolling around. I glanced around and noticed the only mask-less person in the entire room. I watched as I quietly glided to where Ramona was having a difficult time straightening out the ribbons on her mask. Granted, it would already be on her face if she would stop looking up every two seconds and actually concentrate. She eventually finished what she was doing and tied the mask to her face. She was standing alone next to one of the many golden pillars in the room and I couldn't resist sneaking up on her. I slipped silently past her and pressed my back against the opposite side of the pillar. I rolled myself on my shoulders until I was about a foot from her shoulders.

"You know the point off going to a masquerade is to dance, no stand right?" I chuckled when she jumped in surprise and I was greeted by a punch to the chest.

"You just lice to sneak up on me, don't you?" she smirked and I nodded; "Besides," she continued, "I'm not here to dance. I've been cooped up in my apartment for two and a half weeks and I needed to get out." it was obvious she was still a little wary of being outside since she was kidnapped and I figured she needed to loosen up.

"No, you came out here to satisfy your thirst for adventure and risk." I gave her a wink and she punched me again, "So you've decided to go to a masquerade…and not dance?" she nodded, "And why not?"

"Because I don't dance in public!" she exclaimed quietly.

"You danced with me when you stole that Mexican fire opal last year. You dance in public." She shook her head and pointed a finger.

"No, that was strictly for the job and for the job only. I don't dance in public." She folder her arms across her chest and shot me a sideway glance.

"Lies." I muttered playfully and she scoffed in return, "Come on, I'll dance with you." I motioned my head for the ballroom and she shook her head.

"No. I don't dance in public unless absolutely necessary."

"Oh come one, Ramona. Why not?" I chuckled when she was starting to get annoyed by my constant bugging, but I knew she'd crack eventually.

"People will see!" she yelled softly. I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms myself.

"You dancing or being seen dancing with me?" she huffed before answering.

"Dancing in general; I told you I don't dance." I chuckled again as she showed her truly stubborn personality.

"Well then let them see; it's a dance not a crime," I glanced her up and down before adding, "Unless you've stolen something and hidden it somewhere in that dress you yours." I winked before rolling farther on my shoulder to where my chest was almost touching her small frame.

"No and I'm not going to argue about it." I stood up from the pillar as a plan started forming in my mind.

"Alright, fine. I won't arguer with you." I put up my paws in surrender and she smiled triumphantly.

"Thank you." I smirked one final time before making my move. As I brought my paws down, I grabbed one of hers and placed the other on her waist. Before she registered what I had done, we were both in the middle of the crowded dance floor, dancing in time with the music.

"Cooper! This isn't funny!" she whispered harshly and I simply laughed in reply.

"Just go along with it, Ramona. You know you want to." She huffed, but to my surprise went along with it.

Pretty soon, we were flowing in time with the music and she wasn't putting up a fight anymore. She laughed every time I made a joke in an attempt to keep her mind off the phantom. And for the most part, it looked like it was working. She looked like she was actually having a good time and I knew she was safe from harm. Since we were pressed together for both the sake of the dance and the little room we had for dancing, I could feel her heart beat against my chest; or maybe it was my own. But whichever it was, it just felt right dancing with the petite raccoon in my grasp.

"Now wasn't I right? You're enjoying yourself, aren't you?" I asked after we had dance for what had felt like forever.

"Alright, you were. Are you happy?" she asked as we continued our dance. She rested her head against my chest and the dance became slow and we could finally stop moving at such a fast pace. Things had almost turned perfect until she stopped abruptly and stared and the staircase on the other side of the room.

"He's here," she whispered, "The phantom of the opera." I glanced to where she was looking and sure enough, there he was.

"Why so silent good Messieurs?" and just like I had expected, he was singing everything he said.

"Does he have to sing everything?" I muttered in her ear.

"Yeah, that's the strange part about this." she replied.

"Like the rest of this is normal." I said more to myself than to her but she heard it anyway. She replied by very seriously impacting her fist on my chest which resulted in a thud. In our brief conversation, I had missed what else the phantom had said, but what he actually said, instead of sung, next stood out the most.

"Either allow the beautiful Ramona to be the star in the upcoming opera," he paused and looked around the room, "or allow her to return with me. I can teach her how to improve her voice." He started singing again, "I'll teach her. Her teacher…" he took a breath and started walking down the stairs. He walked slowly but no one dared to move. Everything was deathly silent as he walked through the crowd, searching. I felt Ramona's grip tighten on me as the slipped from our eyesight. He had gone to our right and the pillars blocked my view of the masked man. I focused my full attention on finding the man and making sure my grip on Ramona was firm. I felt her left paw get ripped from my shoulder and her gasp.

"Your chains are still me!" he shouted as he slipped the engagement ring on her finger again, "You belong to me!" she jerked her arm from his grasp and everyone watched as the man disappeared in a cloud of smoke. I head Ramona cough from the smoke before muttering a series of 'no's' and 'not again' to herself. I felt her grip release me and she had started to run for the exit before any of this completely registered in my mind. The opera house was suddenly in chaos with people running around a screaming. I pushed my way through the crowd of startled people in an attempt to get to Ramona before the phantom did.

"Cooper!" I heard a man yell my last name and I turned in the direction it came from. I spotted Ramona's brother a few yards away, getting pushed around by frantic people like myself, "Check the graveyard! She goes to our father's grave when she's upset, but hurry!" I nodded and ran off towards the local cemetery and only hoped I could get to her before the phantom could.


	6. Chapter 6: The Girl in the Graveyard

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch. The idea of Phantom of the Opera belongs to its rightful owner(s).

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_Well, first off, my internet is still wonky but it had given me the chance to type most of my chapters so if I go to a friend's house I can upload or wait until my own internet is fixed. Also, typing this on a laptop is slightly difficult sometimes so that'll also delay the update process. (My dog likes to sit next to me and lick the screen when I type to that's always difficult :P) I haven't just dropped the story; I just haven't had the chance to update. And second, I NEVER had liked reading stories where the characters a singing, especially a well know/real song, but this is an opera and this scene is one of my two favorite scenes in the entire musical. So I had to this chapter in it even if a lot of dialogue is from the song and I know it's not every verse from the song but, that would have been too much to type and it's not fun, well for me, to ready this song and not listen to it.. But, the 2004 version of the movie does and amazing job of this song and all of the others and if you were to look up any of the songs, this would definitely be number one; besides the opening music. So please read and review and let me know what you think._

Chapter 6: The Girl in the Graveyard

I let out a deep yawn and shivered as I strolled down the early morning streets of Paris. Winter was in full bloom and snow was falling by the bucketfuls. After Ramona had bolted from the masquerade ball, I had been searching the streets to be sure the phantom hadn't taken the shaken woman. Her brother had told me that she would most likely go to the local graveyard, but I hadn't seen or heard from her in hours. Since it was nearing three in the morning, it was absolutely freezing outside, but I was determined to find Ramona before going home. I could see my breath through the light given off by the streetlights as I shoved my paws in my coat pockets. I was nearing the front gates of the cemetery again and I glanced on the inside for any sign of the raccoon. I was completely alone on the streets so my ears perked when I heard fast moving footsteps behind me.

"Excuse me, Monsieur." I heard before a small, figure in a pure white, hooded cloak passed by me. By the shape of the figure, it was obviously a female and I curiously watched as she walked up to the gates of the cemetery. Maybe it was just me, but having a cloaked figure sneaking around the graveyard at three in the morning was certainly suspicious. I watched as the woman produced a key from within her cloak and used it on the front lock of the gates. She quietly stepped inside the graveyard but kept the gates unlocked. Having suspicions that the cloaked female was Ramona, I decided to follow her inside the cemetery, but wanted to stay back a bit just incase I was wrong. Since it was dark, snowing, and the person I was following was wearing white, it was difficult to keep an eye on her. Thankfully, for my sake and for some reason, she was singing to herself.

"In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came. That voice which call to me and speaks my name…"her voice faded as she drifted forward before I could catch up, "You were once my one companion, you were all that mattered. You were once a friend and father, then my world was shattered. Whishing you were somehow here again, wishing you were somehow near…" I already knew that by the voice, it was Ramona. So far out of this entire ordeal, I had no idea why everyone was singing but I figured I'd go with the flow. I could faintly make out the shape of her a few feet in front of me since the snow was landing on the ground faster than she was walking. I stuck to the shadows and underneath the trees, not wanting to disturb her unless necessary. This was always a touching field for her and there was no telling how she would react if she was snuck up on or figured out she was being followed.

"Whishing I could hear your voice again, knowing that I never would…" Her voice was calm and sadness was obviously present. Her voice was on the move again and I followed silently. She sung softly and walking at a slow pace, either looking for the correct headstone or overlooking the others. I shivered again when a gust of wind passed through and I stopped to rest at a tree. Ramona was still in my eyesight and still singing.

"Passing bells and sculpted angles, cold and monumental, seem for you the wrong companion…" her voice faded and I stepped closer, "You were warm and gentle…" She continued walking and her singing got softer and softer as I got further and further behind her. I could tell that by the way her voice was she was a bundle of confusion and fear.

"Too many years, fighting back tears, why can't the past just die…" her voice started to get louder, "Whishing you were somehow here again, knowing we must say goodbye. Trying to forgive, teach me to live, give me the strength to grow…" she was walking again and nearing a mausoleum. I followed her and watched as she started to climb the stairs of the large, marble building, "Help me say…goodbye. Help me say…goodbye." I watched as she dropped to her knees in front of the padlocked grate and lower head. After seeing that we were the only ones in the graveyard, I decided that I would leave and give her a chance to sort things out in her mind. I had just turned to leave when I heard a voice that I really didn't want to hear.

"Wandering child, so lost, so helpless, yearning for my guidance…" the phantom was singing himself and was somewhere inside the graveyard. I clung to the tree and searched for the masked man, knowing that Ramona was in danger if he wasn't found. My jaw almost hit the floor when I heard Ramona sing a reply and I tried to figure out if she was under some kind of trance or something deeper was going on.

"Angel or father, friend or phantom, who is it there staring…Angle, oh speak, what endless longings. Echo in this whisper…" she stopped and the phantom continued his own song.

"Too long you've wandered in winter, far from my far reaching gaze…"

"Wildly my mind beats against you, yet the soul obeys!" her voice got louder, as did the phantoms.

"Angle of music, you denied me; turning from true beauty. Angle of music, do not shun me, come to your strange angel…" he stopped singing and I heard his voice grow dark and whisper into the cold night, "I am your angel of music, come to me angel of music…" I could make out his figure on the side of the mausoleum and watched silently as he stepped towards Ramona, his arms spread wide, ready to grab her at any minute. She was in some sort of daze and hadn't realized the danger she was in.

"Ramona!" her head snapped around at the sound of my voice and that had taken her out of her trance and the phantom had taken a step back, "Move!" she looked from me to the figure beside her and gasped when she realized who it was. She lost her balance and fell backwards down two or three stairs. To my surprise, the phantom had jumped over Ramona and lunged at me; his sword drawn and clutched tightly in his paws. I pulled out my cane and blocked is first swing.

For the first time, I realized that the phantom was a raccoon as well and I also realized he could very easily kill me with one smart thrust of his sword. I didn't really have that much experience with sword fighting and I knew I was on the losing side since he had a sword and I had a cane. He lunged again and I blocked. He had the upper hand in the battle; effortlessly swinging and thrusting his sword towards my chest while I stepped back with each swing and blocked each blow to the best of my abilities. I had momentarily lost track of where Ramona had gone since I was a little preoccupied with fighting for my life. I grimaced when I felt his blade slice against my upper arm and I looked down at my shirt to see it start turning red; filling with my blood. In my slight distraction, the phantom had managed to kick me down with his foot and pulled his sword up, ready to stab. My cane had been slung from my possession and had landed a few feet away from me. I braced myself for the impact of his sword, but never felt it. The phantom had lowered his sword after Ramona had slide between me and the phantom. He would dare stab Ramona with his sword and he slid in back into its holster. I felt Ramona jerk me up by my collar before we ran for the exit.

"Now, let it be war upon you both!" I heard the phantom shout behind us as we took off down the streets. We ran nonstop until we had reached the bridge that was about a mile down the street from the cemetery. I leaned against the edge of the bridge and tried to catch my breath. Ramona, on the other hand, was ranting instead.

"I can't do this anymore!" she shouted as she pulled her hood off her head, "I can't live in hiding anymore! If this doesn't end soon I'm just going to give in to what he wants. It'll save me stress and trouble."

"No, you can't. Look, I know this is a hard thing to have to deal with, but giving up just shows him that he can control everything you do. I will figure out a way to get you out of this even if it means marching down to the phantom's lair and settling this by myself. I will figure out a way to get you out of this."

"How are you going to do that, Sly? The man's too good. He knows everything about me that there is to know. He could take me anytime he feels like it. You can't beat him." I placed my paws on the side of her face so she would be forced to look at me in the eyes.

"He's never had to deal with me before. Just trust me, I'll figure something out." she sighed and nodded silently.


	7. Chapter 7: The Truth Behind the Mask

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch. The idea of Phantom of the Opera belongs to its rightful owner(s).

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_My internet is still a little wonky but I'm working on it. Thankfully my friend keeps letting me use their computer to update and I should get my internet fixed. And sorry that this chapter is short but things will really pick up in the chapter after next. I've planned out the rest of this story on paper and if things go the way I've planned, it'll have 13 chapters and I'll finally break 11 chapters! But this story does have spoilers from the movie/book so if you haven't seen it, there ARE spoilers. Just wanted to give a heads up. But please read and review and let me know what you think._

Chapter 7: The Truth Behind the Mask

I flopped down in my living room chair with a groan after shutting my eyes. After making sure Ramona returned home safely, I could finally go to bed. It was well past four and I was dragging with exhaustion. I had wrapped my arm when the phantom had sliced it open at Ramona's apartment. The left arm of my shirt was still soaked with blood but I didn't care; I'd never wear it again anyway. I heard Bentley enter the room and opened one eye only to see that he had his laptop in his grasp which only meant one thing; he had found some sort of information on our problem. Even if this information could help everything end, it was the last thing I wanted to hear about tonight. The only thing I wanted to do right now, was sleep.

"Sly, you're not going to believe what I found out about the phantom!" he exclaimed as he sat on the couch.

"That he actually sleeps?" I asked, hoping he'd take the hint.

"No," he rolled his eyes before continuing, "But I think I've figured out why he's so obsessed with Ramona!" no matter how tired I was, I figured this little bit of information couldn't hurt to know now.

"Why?" I sat up from my chair and rested my elbows on my knees.

"Well, I'll have to tell you a little background for it to make sense but it's a huge break!" he opened his laptop before continuing, "It turns out that he childhood sucked." I nodded and waited for him to continue.

"According to what I found out online, he mother died when he was a toddler. So, his dad took care of him. And apparently, his father was a heavy drinker or drug user; I couldn't really find out which one was right. And when he got drunk, or high, he seemed to get violent and had anger problems. This only got worse after the mother died. So, one night his father was under the influence and something had made him furious, and he took it out on his son. The police aren't sure what it was, but his father had gotten angered and either set the phantom on fire and it burned his face, or it was some sort of battery acid," he kept his eyes on his laptop as he kept talking about his story, "and of course he was taken by the police and hospitalized for a while before he was put in an orphanage somewhere in western Paris. I also found out that he was always made fun of by the other kids because of his face. That's what caused him to wear the 'phantom' mask and the teasing eventually made him run away from the orphanage. And in the opera house records, he somehow managed to live underneath the opera house alone. And because of that, he heard every opera and play performed that and I guess he eventually found a passion for the art of operas." He closed his laptop, "I've looked at the opera house plays and now the guy writes his own plays and gives them to the opera house. Now, this is my assumptions and I have no proof of this, but I think he played the phantom that night we went to the opera to show people that his life really is the phantom of the opera."

"That's nice but how does Ramona tie into all of this?" I asked after realizing that he had said nothing about Ramona.

"I was getting to that," he shot me a glance and kept talking, "When Ramona went to steal that crystal rose, she had to rehearse the play so she could do it, right?" I nodded, "Well, since the two of them had to play the main characters, they had to spend a ton of time together to rehearse. And I think it was Ramona herself who got herself into this situation, unintentionally though. You know just as well as I do, that most of the time she has a decent personality, unless you do something that makes her mad." I nodded again, "And since his mother died, the phantom hasn't known that much compassion. So I think that when Ramona did rehearsal for the opera, she was her usual nice self towards the phantom. And since she was the only one who has ever shown him true compassion, I think he was instantly attracted to her. Then, after the opera was over, he didn't want to loose her compassion towards him. This, in turn, made him become obsessed with her and made him stalk her."

"I'm guessing that he doesn't want to be without her. He is in love with her and doesn't want to let her go." He finished his explanation.

"But if he takes her against her will, she's not going to be as nice to him. She'll figure out someway to escape and that'll show him she doesn't live him back." He shook his head.

"That's what I thought. But he can keep her under his spell. When she was taken the first time, why didn't she beat the snot out of him when he got in her apartment? There is something he's doing that controls her." I thought about it for a minute and figure out what it was.

"It's the music. When I met her in the graveyard he was singing to her and she would sing back. She didn't move when he went to take her again. I had to yell at her to get her to snap out of it." he nodded.

"Then Ramona is in very, serious, trouble. If it is hypnotism, he can get her to do whatever he wants. Including marriage and having her living with him forever."

"She said that if she can't get this to end then she's just going to give in to what he wants." I said as I stood and stretched my back.

"You can't let her do that. If she goes with him, there's no telling what will happen."

"That's what I told her. I also told her that if I have to, I'll march down there myself and end this." he smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I had an idea of what he was getting at but only hoped I was wrong.

"You have a thing for her; don't deny it." I shook my head and he nodded.

"I do not! Why doesn't everyone keep telling me that?"

"Because it's true!" he shouted with a laugh, "If you didn't then why are you trying so hard to get her out of this problem?"

"I'm just being friendly! What about you? You keep researching!" I had a feeling he would say that.

"Only because you ask me to!" he rebutted, "You're doing more to help her than her own brother! Look Sly, you're going to have to face the truth eventually. Her life could depend on it."

"How could her 'life depend on' on whether or not I have feelings for her, which I don't!"

"If she feels like you only want to be around her as a competition, there is a possibility that she'll go with the phantom anyway. If she feels like she is only used for competition by someone who is constantly flirting with her, it plays with her emotions and will actually go with someone who shows they have them as well."

"That has the be the stupidest thing I have ever heard come out of your mouth!" I shouted as I walked into my bedroom to get ready for bed.

"If she goes with the phantom you'll never get her back!" he shouted one last comeback.

"You're just jumping to conclusions!" I shouted back before shutting the door firmly. I knew that there was no possible way that Ramona would decided to go with the phantom and all I would have to do was figure out a way to get him to back off. Even if his childhood was horrible, it doesn't mean that Ramona would be the only one would that could make him feel good about himself. I decided that I would figure something out in the morning but now, I was going to bed.


	8. Chapter 8: A Plan and a Kidnapping

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch. The idea of Phantom of the Opera belongs to its rightful owner(s).

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_My internet is finally fixed! And this chapter is a combo of a chapter and a half so it's a little longer than I had planned. And once again, this story DOES have spoilers! I really don't have that much more to add to an author's note so please read and review and please leave any constructive criticism so I can make this story better! (: **And I'm also going to put a slight hold on updating for a while since I haven't been getting any recent feedback and I'm not sure if this story is liked, or not, or anything else so as much as I don't like to…I won't update until I get some sort of feedback with something about how you like my story so far.**_

Chapter 8: A Plan and a Kidnapping

I stood in the middle of the once again crowded opera house ready for action. Ramona, on the other hand, was ready to jump out of her fur. Bentley had worked with her brother and had created a plan that could end this charade permanently. They had needed another masquerade ball to take place in order for it to work, so they had sent out hundreds of invitations and now over half the city was jammed into the opera house. Sitka had pulled some strings and managed to get Carmelita in on the plan to take down the phantom. Ramona was completely against they plan and I didn't blame her. She would be used as bait to lure the phantom in before we sprung our trap.

"I don't like this," she muttered, "There is no way it'll end well." It was obvious Ramona was nervous.

"Will you calm down? We have this under control and you are completely safe from danger. Look, while we get this settled out, I want you to relax and enjoy yourself," I said as I tied her mask on her face, "Now go dance or something and I'll let you know when this is all over." She sighed before nodding and heading into the crowd. I turned on my heels and headed for outside the ballroom so I could reconfirm the plan with Ramona's brother. Like Ramona, I wasn't too sure about his plan but if it would make this entire ordeal end, it was worth it.

"Cooper, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Ramona's brother asked after I had finally made my way to the other side of the building.

"Yeah, when we see him I get Inspector Fox, she makes and arrest then we can all go home. How do you even know he'll show up? This entire thing is a bust if he doesn't appear."

"Trust me, he'll show up. If Ramona's in that ballroom then he'll be here." I nodded and we got ready to put the plan into action. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Bentley make his way towards me.

"How could you have possibly gotten from dancing with Ramona to here faster than I did?" he asked. My eyebrows knitted together at his comment.

"I wasn't dancing with Ramona. I came here after she went into the crowd." His eyebrows went together as well.

"Well she's dancing with someone. They have your costume." The three of us rushed into the ballroom to find Ramona and her mysterious partner.

"There she is!" Sitka said after we had gotten halfway through the ballroom. Bentley was right, she was dancing with someone and his costume was exactly the same as mine. My heart jumped into my throat and dread washed over me as I realized who she was dancing with. The phantom had once again gotten her under his spell and she was entranced with his singing.

"…for the trap he has set and wait for its prey." He had somehow figured out our plan and was planning something of his own. They had stopped moving and lost in each other's gazes. People danced around them and we had to figure out a way to get her attention without alerting the phantom of out presence. If we didn't, she would surely stay under his spell and that would be the last time we would ever see her.

I took off my mask so my faced showed and I slowly made my way so I could get in Ramona's sight range. Hopefully, if she saw that she wasn't dancing with me then we might have a chance to get Ramona out of her trance. I was relieved when she spotted me only a few feet from her and her eyebrows knitted together from behind her mask. I watched as she reached up and firmly grabbed the phantom's mask and swiftly pulled off his mask. I heard the crowd gasp and Ramona clamped a paw over her mouth. I was taken back myself when I was the man's face. It looked like it was melted and that his eye would pop out of his skull at any second. He smirked to himself before grabbing Ramona by her forearm. She thankfully had returned to her senses and returned the favor by clamping her teeth on his arm. He scoffed as she took off running for the exit. The phantom chased after Ramona and I chased after the both of them. She quickly ran up the stairs that led to the roof and the phantom was right on her heels. I was slightly behind them, avoiding the people on and around the stairs as I tried to beat the phantom to Ramona. She had reached the door to the roof and the phantom was still behind her. I could only watch as I ran after them as she reached the roof and so did the phantom. The door slammed shut before I could get to the roof and I tried my hardest to get the door to open. He had barred the door shut and there was no way to get to the roof through that door. I realized I would have to take the long way up but I also knew it could be too late. The phantom started singing again and he was once again trying to lure her into his spell. Even though I couldn't hear through the door, we had given Ramona an earpiece that connected to mine and I could hear everything through there. I worked my way down the stairs as quickly as I could, still avoiding people and not trying to trip.

"You have come here, in pursuit of your deepest urge. In pursuit of that wish which until now has been silent…" I could hear his voice through her earpiece which meant he had to be close to her. This meant she had to have succumbed to his singing once again, "I have brought you that our passions may fuse and merge. In your mind you've already succumbed to me, dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me. Now you are here with me, no second thoughts, you've decided, decided…" I knew I was running out of time, I burst through the front doors of the opera house and made my way towards the fire escape. It would lead me straight to the top and would give me the chance to keep the phantom from completing his plan.

"You have brought me to that moment where words run dry. To that moment where speech disappears into silence, silence…" Ramona was returning his songs with her own and I was running out of time. I threw my jacket to ground before I started to climb my way to the top. I had no plans of sneaking up on them, it wouldn't help. He knew that I was chasing after them and it would only be a matter of time before I would make my way to the top. I passed ropes that held banners in place as I kept climbing and could still hear the two raccoons singing, but louder this time. Both of their voices were mixed into one strong and loud voice.

"Past the point of no return, the final threshold, the bridge is crossed so stand and watch it burn. We've passed the point of no return…" I finally made my way to the roof and stepped over the lip of the building and could see them standing in the middle of the roof. I couldn't help but huff out a breath after climbing the entire height of the building. When I looked back up, Ramona was still standing there but the phantom was no where to be seen.

"Where'd he go?" I asked after realizing he was nowhere on the roof.

"He jumped off the side," she quickly made her way to the side I was standing on and we looked over the side of the building. We both gave a sigh of relief when we didn't see the phantom in out sights. Our attention turned to the ropes that held up the banners. One rope was moving quickly and zipping against its metal sockets. I hadn't realized why it was zipping away quickly until the unmasked face of the phantom appeared over the side or the building. The cut rope propelled him upwards until he was at the perfect height for reaching Ramona. His arms secured around her waist and they were both pulled upward slightly. He jumped over the ledge, Ramona still in his grasp, and headed for the center of the roof. I chased after them and couldn't help but wonder why he had kicked the chandelier support beam. Then it hit me when crashing and screams could be heard from inside the building. His brief distraction got my attention away from him just enough so he could hit a lever that summoned the trap door beneath his feet. Both the phantom and the phantom fell through the floor and into the ballroom. I rushed to the side and saw that we were above the stage and the hole used to escape when acting out The Phantom of the Opera. He had gotten her back in his clutches and was now taking Ramona back to his lair.

I felt a rush of heat and saw the fallen chandelier had knocked over a table of candles and now the fabrics inside were on fire. It didn't take long for the entire building to catch on fire and people started to evacuate. Smoke flooded from the open doors and windows and the flames were quickly getting bigger. I took the fire escape down to the ground while trying to figure out a way to get Ramona from the clutches of the phantom. I saw Inspector Fox exit the burning building and I quickly flagged her down.

"He's got your sister," was all I could get out of my mouth before she pulled me by the arm.

"Follow me, I overlooked the sewer system and I think I know how to get to him. But we have to hurry!" she pulled me towards the sewer grate in front of the opera house just before explosions inside the opera house could be heard.

Carmelita had her trust shock pistol out and ready to fire as we quickly descended the spiral, stone staircase. We worked our way through the sewer systems and found the stairs that led to the phantom's lair. It was cold, wet, and dark inside and I couldn't wrap my brain around the thought of someone living here. Our feet move quickly and we stayed silent as we traveled the staircase. We listened for any sign of Ramona or the phantom. The earpiece connection I had with Ramona had been lost after we had entered the sewers and it was nothing but static. I finally heard the song of the phantom and they weren't that far ahead of us.

"Down once more to the dungeon of my black despair! Down we plunge to the prison of my mind! Down that path into darkness deep as hell!" his voice faded and Carmelita stopped moving abruptly.

"I'm not going down any further, you're going to have to end this." I nodded and started to make my way down the stairs.

"And be careful of the bigger stairs, this place is littered with trap doors!" she shouted behind me, "and keep your hand at the level of your eyes!" even when I watched the play I had no idea what that ever meant.

"What does that even mean?" I shouted back.

"It keeps your neck from a hangman's noose!" she had started climbing the stairs and I hoped she was getting her squadron ready for action. I continued my way down the stair san stopped by an open grate and I heard their voices.

"This face, the infection, which poisons our love…the face, which earned a mother's fear and loathing. A mask, my first, unfeeling scrap of clothing…" the phantom's voice was soft as he sang and Ramona's was soft as well.

"This haunted face holds no horror for me now. It's in your soul, that the true distortion lies." I got ready to keep heading down until the phantom's voice became loud again.

"Wait! I think, my dear, we have a guest! This is indeed an unparalleled delight! Please, be my guest sir!" I only though was that he figured out I was standing above them and it was confirmed when I felt the ground give out from under me and I feel into the lake beneath me; directly inside the phantom's lair. When my head reappeared from the water, I saw the phantom leisurely walking towards me, arms spread open and a smirk spread across his distorted face.


	9. Chapter 9: The Ultimatum

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch. The idea of Phantom of the Opera belongs to its rightful owner(s).

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_I know this chapter is EXTREMELY short (a grand total of 1,091 words) and I'm really sorry but I got a PM asking for a cliff hanger so…here it is! If you know how the real play ends…that doesn't mean this is how my story will end ;). So, I left it in a cliff hanger and I'm sad to say **I won't relieve the cliff hanger until I get some more feedback**. I really need to know if you like the direction I'm going in or not. So please read and review and let me know what you think._

Chapter 9: The Ultimatum

I watched as the phantom started to make his way towards me in the water. The water was about waist high and even if I was a decent swimmer, I wasn't comfortable not being on land. While he took his time approaching, singing something the entire time, I searched for Ramona. I hadn't seen her since he had taken her down here to begin with. I finally saw her on the stone stairs, and it looked like she had been forced into a wedding dress. It was long, lacy, and barely covered her shoulders. She rushed down the stairs as quickly as she could and stopped at the water. I watched as she looked back and forth, looking for some sort of solution. I had been distracted enough to not watch what the phantom was doing and it was too late to do anything when I saw what he was doing. He reached into the water and pulled out a relatively long rope. I felt the rope wrap around my neck tightly before I was standing face to face with the phantom. The sudden lack of oxygen left me vulnerable; which of course led to me being secured to the barred gate behind me. After I was secured, he backed away and directed his attention to Ramona.

"You only have two choices my dear!" he shouted from the middle of the lake, "Start a new life with me and he goes free! Refuse me and you send him to his grave and you go free!" her mouth opened slightly and she searched for the right words to say. The phantom still had the other end of the rope in his grasp but had let the grip down slightly so I could breathe. He was standing in the middle of us two thieves.

"Make your choice!" he shouted at Ramona. He obviously had no patience at all.

"Just let her go!" I shouted, trying to get his attention away from the frazzled raccoon, "Holding her hostage here won't do you any good! I don't care what you do but just let her go!" I motioned to Ramona with my head and he smirked.

"Your lover makes a passionate plea my dear!" he pulled the rope tighter before walking towards the dry land.

"It's useless, Sly!" I heard Ramona shout from her position, "He's not going to change his mind!" the phantom started making his way towards me again and I spotted a noose in his possession this time. He flung the unwrapped part around an edge on the ceiling before loosely putting the other end around my neck.

"I'll tell you again," he faced Ramona again, "Start a new life with me, buy his freedom with your love. Refuse me and you send your lover to his death!" he was screaming now and pulled on the rope, "This is your choice, _this_ is the point of no return!" he tugged on the rope again and I had to stand on my toes to keep my neck from snapping.

"The tears I might have shed for you dark fate, grow cold and turn to tears of hate!" she sang back with the exception of the last word. Tears were welling up in her eyes and she was conflicted.

"It's too late for turning back! Make your choice!" he shouted his reply.

"Listen to me Ramona," I called to the confused raccoon and she looked back in a frustrated huff, "Refuse him! Refuse him and go home! Don't sacrifice your life and your future for me! Don't you do it! Do you hear me? Don't do it!" I shifted as best as I could and she searched for her words again.

"There's no point in fighting," he looked to Ramona again, "For either way you choose you cannot win! So do you end your days with me or send him to his grave?" he pulled the rope again and I gasped for air. She ran her fingers through her hair and was obviously frazzled at her choice.

"For pity's sake Ramona, say no!" I shifted again and the phantom shot me a smirk. He knew he would win no matter what. Even if I was dead, that wouldn't stop him from stalking Ramona.

"Past the point of no return…" the phantom was singing at this point and I could only assume Ramona was forced to do the same.

"…Angel of music…" her voice was high pitched as if she was trying to stop the tears from falling from her face.

"His life is the prize you must earn!" he was stepping closer and closer to Ramona.

"Angel of music…you deceived me…" she stopped singing, "I gave you my mind blindly. I gave you a chance in the beginning."

"You're trying my patience, make your choice!" he pulled the rope again and I stood on the toes as best as I could. It was getting harder and harder to breathe.

"For the last time Ramona," I gasped out, "say no and save your life! Just say no!" I tried to use my paws to move the rope but they were unfortunately bound to the gate behind me. Ramona made eye contact with me, tears in her eyes, and shaking her head. I didn't know if she was saying no to me or the phantom. I listened as she opened her mouth to answer and I hope she would say no to the phantom and let herself go free. I didn't care if I was sacrificed for her freedom; it wasn't right for her to marry this maniac when she has such a productive future ahead of her. Tears were streaming down her face as she said her final answer…


	10. Chapter 10: A Heart is Broken

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch. The idea of Phantom of the Opera belongs to its rightful owner(s).

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_Alright, here's chapter 10. I would have updated yesterday but I wanted to keep the suspense going for a little while. ;) I do have maybe…two or three chapters after this and it'll be wrapped up. and I do appreciate all of the reviews and I hope you will read and review and keep leaving reviews and letting me know how I'm doing and what you think! _

Chapter 10: A Heart is Broken

"_Angel of music…you deceived me…" she stopped singing, "I gave you my mind blindly. I gave you a chance in the beginning."_

"_You're trying my patience, make your choice!" he pulled the rope again and I stood on the toes as best as I could. It was getting harder and harder to breathe._

"_For the last time Ramona," I gasped out, "say no and save your life! Just say no!" I tried to use my paws to move the rope but they were unfortunately bound to the gate behind me. Ramona made eye contact with me, tears in her eyes, and shaking her head. I didn't know if she was saying no to me or the phantom. I listened as she opened her mouth to answer and I hope she would say no to the phantom and let herself go free. I didn't care if I was sacrificed for her freedom; it wasn't right for her to marry this maniac when she has such a productive future ahead of her. Tears were streaming down her face as she said her final answer…_

She mouthed the words 'I'm sorry', before turning her attention to the phantom. She wiped her tears away before stepping towards the phantom. She strode into the water, allowing her dress to touch the water while her feet got wet. Ramona and the phantom kept their eyes locked on each other while I was left dumbfounded on the gate. The noose around my neck was loose now and I no longer had to stand on my toes in order to breathe.

"Pitiful creature of darkness," Ramona softly sang, "What kind of life have you known?" I knew what she was doing; she was giving herself to the phantom so I could go home alive.

"Ramona!" I shouted, "Don't you do it, Ramona! Don't! Just say no and go home! Don't throw your life away! You'll regret it if you do! I know you will! Just refuse him! Ramona, listen to me!" my shouting had no effect on her. She wasn't listening and wasn't going to listen.

"God give me courage to show you, you are not alone." Ramona's voice cut me off and I listened. The two were nearly nose to nose and I could only stand there and watch as the phantom leaned in and passionately pressed his lips against Ramona's. He dropped the rope that connected the noose to my neck and placed is paws on Ramona's neck. Ramona had no choice but to go along with it, but it was hard for me to have to witness. Watching a woman you've had strong feelings for have her face pressed against the face of another man, especially one who stalked her, wasn't easy. He eventually pulled away from Ramona and looked at her briefly before leaning in again and stealing another lengthy kiss from Ramona. I struggled against my restraints and wanted nothing more to do than get free and punch the phantom in his disfigured face.

Again, he eventually backed away from Ramona but lowered his head. Everything was silent except for the sounds coming from the phantom. I couldn't tell from my position, but it sounded as if the phantom had just burst into tears. It was only confirmed when Ramona glanced to me and slid a finger from her eye to her jaw line. The phantom pushed Ramona to the side before heading for dry land. The sound of a squad of police came from the staircase above me and I could only imagine that the police had forced him to stop his plans. Ramona had turned and we both stared at the now emotional phantom.

"Take her, forget me, forget all of this. Leave me alone. Forget all you've seen. Go now, don't let them find you. Take the boats and never tell the secret you know of the angel in Hell. Go now! Go now and leave me!" he shouted and sang before entering another chamber in his underground home. Ramona wasted no time in lifting her dress so she could dwell deeper into the water. She walked as best as she could through the water and quickly ran her paws over my face before trying to get the ropes away from my neck.

"Please tell me you had that planned." I said after my neck was free. She nodded quickly before trying to free my wrists. After one of my wrists were free, we worked together to get the rest of me untied. After I was free, I quickly hugged her before we made out way out of the lake.

"Where are the boats? All I see is the lake and that chamber." I asked her after we were out of the water.

"Oh!" I thought deeply, "We came in on a boat and then came here…Behind the mirror!" she pointed to our left and there was a tall, semi-dirty mirror attached to the wall, "You'll have to push the glass away and there should be a little corridor or whatever you want to call it behind glass." I nodded as we made out way through the dimly lit room. There was no electric light whatsoever and everything was lit by candles or candlesticks mounted on the wall. I pulled out my cane and tried to pry the glass back. It was difficult to do since it was securely locked in place and I was dripping wet. Since I was still in the masquerade costume, with no jacket, the puffier shirt soaked up more water than my normal thieving outfit. And the fact I had fallen in the lake through a trap door didn't help. I smirked when the glass started to slowly slide to the side as I applied more force. I stopped and glanced to Ramona to see her start to make her way towards the phantom's chamber.

"Where are you going?" I shouted towards her.

"I've have to return the man's ring, Sly! I can't get it off and I think of him every time I look at it! Just keep working on the door, I'll be back in a minute!" she shouted back. I groaned and couldn't see how this could end well.

"I can get Bentley take it off for you then just throw it away! We've got to get out of here before the police get here!" I pushed on my cane again.

"Look, I'm returning the ring right now! Unless _you _want to get married right now, I'm returning the man's ring!" she started to huff up the stairs.

"I'm perfectly fine with that!" I shot back.

"Cooper!" she shrieked and I smirked. Even in situations like this, it was still fun to push her buttons. I returned my attention to the mirror and pushed the glass far back enough to where Ramona and I could squeeze through.

Ramona met back up with me a moment later and I allowed her to squeeze through the opening first. I grabbed one of the torches off the wall before going though myself. We slid the glass back into place and realized it was a one-way glass. We could see out into his underground lair but we couldn't see in through the glass from the outside. We stood at the mirror and watched as the phantom walked down the stairs with a candle stick in his grasp. The sounds of the police got louder and Carmelita's voice was the loudest of them all. We watched the phantom walk up to one of the many other mirrors in the room.

"It's over now, the music of the night!" he sang with hurt in his voice before smashing the largest mirror with the candlestick. He beat it over and over until the glass was gone and another passageway was revealed. I stepped through and pulled the drape over the now broken mirror. And that was the last I had even seen from the mysterious phantom of the opera. We started to walk down the passageway when the police finally burst through the doors. I led the way while Ramona stayed closely behind. I used one paw to hold the torch in front of us while Ramona had a death grip on mine. The sounds of the flickering flames of the torch, the sounds of my wet clothes sliding against each other, and the sounds of Ramona's extremely long wedding dress rubbing against the floor, combined with out footsteps were the only sounds around us. We had wondered far enough from the police but there was still a long trail ahead of us.

"You said this is how you got in, what's after the boats?" I asked her after spending too long in silence.

"Stairs, lots and lots of stairs. We came in a different way tonight but this is how he got my down here when this all started. I don't remember all of it but I have a pretty good idea of where we go. There are so many paths and tunnels down here it's not funny." The smell of the sewer hit me like a brick wall and I figured we had to be close. After we had walked another few feet, a small gondola boat came into sight and it was resting on the sewer water. I helped Ramona climb into the boat before handing her the torch. She sat and placed the torch in the holder towards the front of the boat.

"Ready to go?" she nodded as I climbed into the boat. I stood in the gondola in order to steer it and found out I had to move it slowly to avoid the flame on the torch going out.

"You know," Ramona stated after we had been drifting for a while, "I always wanted to go on a gondola ride in a wedding dress," she turned her head to stare at me, "but this isn't what I had in mind." She shook her head and giggled softly.

"Are the sewers not romantic enough for my fiery little thief?" I lifted and eyebrow before using my tail to nudge her.

"Not really," she sighed and her voice grew quiet, "Thanks, I owe you one."

"Not a problem," I paused and started thinking about the kiss that she and the phantom had shared and could only wonder if she really wanted to stay there, "Did you plan for that kiss or was it forced?" I needed to find out and I wasted no time getting to the point.

"I had an idea that the phantom would attempt something so I asked Carmelita if she would get a squadron ready to swarm in if something happened. And I needed to by some time to you wouldn't die but I didn't expect him to do that. And the fact he cried afterward doesn't ease my nerves one bit." She lifted an eyebrow in thought, "Were you…jealous…of that kiss?" she lifted an eyebrow. I shrugged my shoulders, brushing off the question, and she rolled her eyes. I sighed and realized Bentley was right, if she didn't know how I felt then I might never have the chance to tell her. I knew the way I felt but she didn't.

"Alright, I was jealous. Very jealous in fact," she looked up to me quickly with a surprised look on her face. I was sincere and I guess that threw her off. The boat hit the edge of the beginning of the stairs and we both eventually got out of the boat. I groaned at the amount of stair ahead of us.

"That is a ton of stairs," I moved the torch and looked up again.

"I know," she muttered, "What are the chances of you carrying me?" she nudged me with her elbow and I chuckled.

"Not likely," she scoffed playfully.

"Can't say I didn't try," she muttered as we started to work out way up the stairs.

_Alright…it did somewhat end like the real musical but…it did have a slight twist on it(:_


	11. Chapter 11: Ascending the Stairs

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch. The idea of Phantom of the Opera belongs to its rightful owner(s).

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_I know this chapter is short but this story is winding down. There is another chapter coming after this one but that should be it. And there is one thing out of order that I put in the middle but I needed to incorporate it in somehow. I know this story is more on the ChristinexRaoul side of things (if you want to say Ramona is the Christine character and Sly could be counted as Raoul) but in my personal opinion, I was pro ChristinexPhantom. I always found Raoul to be somewhat of a pansy but everyone has their own opinion. And I couldn't do the ChristinexPhantom side of things or I would have to have Ramona stay with the Phantom forever and she wouldn't be in any other stories. And I couldn't do that (: but, please read and review and let me know what you think!_

Chapter 11: Ascending the Stairs

"Low blood sugar, huh?" I asked as my feet shuffled against the stairs.

"Yeah, it's a family curse." Ramona replied before yawning. I groaned as we continued walking up the stairs. Even if neither of us had a watch, it was getting late and we were both dragging. We had shifted positions and Ramona was the one carrying the torch. I, on the other hand, had somehow ended up carrying Ramona while we walked. She somehow persuaded me from the bottom of the steps to carry her up. Even if neither of us had a watch, we could tell it was getting late and we were both exhausted. Ramona had the habit of contentiously falling asleep and almost dropping the torch, the only source of light.

"How much farther do we have to climb?" she asked after I had to shake her awake. I put her feet on the ground and took the torch away.

"About another half, then we have to get you home." She groaned as she started to drag herself up the stairs.

"I think this leads to my apartment. I was in my bedroom when he dragged me down here in the first place." We continued to trudge up the stairs in almost complete darkness. The walls surrounding us were painted with gold from the torch and the only sounds I heard came from out clothing against the stone stairs and the sounds of water from deep within the sewers. Like the staircase I had come down here on, this one was a wide spiral and completely filthy. I felt Ramona attach herself to me when the haunting voice of the phantom could be heard from below us.

"I gave you my music. Made your song take wing and now, how you've repaid me, denied me, and betrayed me. He was bound to love you, when he heard you sing…my sweet…" his voice died off before Ramona and I shot each other a glance before going up the stairs as quickly as we could.

"I think it's safe to assume that your sister didn't catch him." I said as we hustled up the stairs, "and I thought he said this was over."

"I did too," she clutched onto my free paw while using her other to keep her dress from getting caught underneath her feet. Inside his chamber might have been the last I had seen of him, but it certainly wasn't the last time we had heard from him.

"You will curse the day you did no do all that the phantom asked of you!" his voice was soft and sorrowful the first time, now it was dark and he shouted his words.

"Go, go, go!" Ramona pushed me forward when we realized his voice was creeping up the stairs along with us. We hurried up the stairs as fast as out feet could carry us and relief washed over me when we finally reached the top of the stairs. But of course, there was a catch. The top of the stairs split into two pathways and I had absolutely no idea on which way to go. We were in a hurry, if the phantom was following us, which I was pretty sure he was, he had the upper hand. He'd lived in these sewers for so long he knew every nook and cranny.

"Have any ideas?" Ramona looked at the two pathways and pointed to the one on the left.

"I think it's that one but I'm not sure." I didn't want to think it over. Ramona would be in danger again if the phantom caught us still in the sewers. I followed Ramona's choice and we ran down the corridor.

Ramona's heels clicked against the stone floor and an echo could be heard behind us. I wasn't sure if it was the phantom of a lacking member or the police force but I didn't wasn't to come into contact with either of them. Dread washed over me when I saw that this corridor led to a dead end. I started to turn around when Ramona took the torch from my grasp and put it in a holder on the wall. The light from the torch reflected from the end of the hallway and I realized it was another mirror. We both glanced at the mirror and on the other side, it looked like clothing.

"Is that…the inside of my closet?" Ramona peered into the glass, "It is! That little sneak, it's another one-way mirror." We worked together and tried to pry the glass away from the holdings. We were crunched for time as the echoes got louder as the glass started to slide away. Just when the glass was open enough for Ramona to squeeze through, I gently pushed her though and blew out the torch. I squeezed through myself and quickly pushed the glass back into place. After the glass clicked shut, I made my way out of her closet and met Ramona in her bedroom. She sat on the edge of her bed before yanking off her shoes. She sighed and looked up.

"At least I know how he kept getting in." she muttered before she stood and wrapped her arms around me in a hug, "I still owe you one." she muttered. I chuckled before I felt myself loose all control of my actions. The only thing I remember doing afterward was leaning down and pressing my lips against hers. I felt the lace of her dress on my fingertips as my paws wrapped around her petite waist and she pressed her frame to mine. After seeing the phantom kiss Ramona twice in a row, I now know why. Her lips were soft and I felt shivers go up my spine as her body heat radiated from her to me. Things were almost perfect until I heard the sound no man ever likes to hear when kissing a woman with a brother.

"Cooper!" we were jolted out of our kiss and I realized Sitka was leaning against the doorframe to her bedroom.

"Sitka!" Ramona yelled back, "You little creeper!" their language switched from English to what I assumed to be Spanish, but I was lost anyway. They argued back and forth before Ramona finally shoved her brother out of her apartment. She pressed against her back against the door and laughed after I had made my way into the living room.

"I think he killed the mood." I muttered after everything had gotten quiet. She nodded and pulled me into another hug after she was sure her brother was gone. I sighed when I realized it never failed that when I kissed Ramona, something had to interrupt us. But I was relieved knowing that Ramona would be safe, as long as the phantom wouldn't sneak into her room again. I knew I'd have to keep an eye on her until things completely died down, but I had no problem doing that whatsoever.


	12. Chapter 12: A Thief is Returned

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch. The idea of Phantom of the Opera belongs to its rightful owner(s).

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_Well, this is the final chapter! I'm both glad and upset that this story is over. I've always loved the story of The Phantom of the Opera and felt proud when I figured out a way to incorporate with Sly Cooper. And I know this chapter and the last chapter never happened in the musical but I needed to figure out a way to end it. And I know that with the way I left it I can make a sequel to it, but I'm not sure if I will. I'd need to know if it would actually be read. So please read and review and let me know what you think. And if you think I should make a sequel to it, please let me know! _

Chapter 12: A Thief is Returned

After the opera house burned down a few months ago, the city of Paris has been busy building a new one. They had completely wiped away what was left of the old one and build the new one on the same spot. After spending six or seven months building it and making finishing touches, they had finally finished and were now holding an opera and masquerade ball on the opening night. I decided to go to see if the phantom would show up. After talking with Ramona a few days ago, she said that she hadn't seen or heard from the phantom since that night in the sewers. Hopefully he wouldn't show up but I just wanted to make sure. There was a possibility that Ramona would show up as well and if she was, I wouldn't want to pass up the chance to see her without sneaking to her apartment. It was crowded for an opening night and the entire opera house was filled with masked strangers. Many of them had date to accompany them and just as many had come there alone.

I made my way through the crowds of people, searching for any sign of the phantom. I had gotten halfway through the ballroom and things were still in the clear. People were chatting to each other and everything seemed to be going smoothly. I decided that I would stop looking for the phantom for a while and see if Ramona was actually here. However, finding her in a room filled with hundreds of people wearing masks was going to tricky. Even if raccoons were a minority in Paris it still would take a while to sort through all these people. Then to add to the fact that I didn't know if she was even at the ball or not was just another problem. I sighed after shifting through a quarter of the population of the room and still not finding anyone of interest. I meandered to the food table and overlooked it quietly. I turned to my right and found Ramona standing there.

"I find you in the strangest places." I nudged her shoulder and she quickly glanced up from her punch cup. She said nothing but simply reached up and slightly moved my mask back, looking over my face.

"Good, it's you," she breathed out after replacing the mask back over my face, "the last time I thought I was talking with you it was the phantom. I'm not making that mistake again." I chuckled to myself before motioning with my head for us to move to a different location.

"You know," she mumbled after we had made our way away from the other people, "I hate going to these fancy type parties."

"Then why do you keep going to them?" her logic never made sense to me but usually worked out in the end.

"Don't look at it like party," she spun on her heels to face me, "but think of it like going grocery shopping." I put my paws in my pockets and raised an eyebrow.

"Grocery shopping?" she smiled and nodded.

"Exactly, you see," she put her punch glass down on a table before explaining her antics, "it's all about looking at minor details. This isn't just a place for opera and dancing, it's a place where thieves can have a field day. Look around, this place is littered with precious items that are completely unguarded."

"So you're scoping out the place so you can rob it later? I do have to admit, that's a decent plan." She smiled in return before waltzing to a new location. I followed behind her and followed her out onto a balcony. I stayed at the doors while she leaned her paws against the edge of the balcony and sighed.

"I sealed off that passageway that leads to my closet," she turned around to face me, "and I note from him yesterday." I walked to where she was standing and placed my paws on the side of her face. Her fur was soft as she nuzzled her jaw into my palm.

"What'd the note say?" she moved my paws down so they rested on her neck.

"When we were going up the stairs and we heard him again," she paused, "and he said 'you will curse the day you did not do, all that the phantom asked of you'. That's all is said. I don't want this to start up again." She shook her head.

"Look," I put my paws on her waist and tried to think of a way to get her mind off the phantom, "don't worry about that now." She nodded, "Alright, you need a dance."

"No! You know I don't dance in public!" she laughed out after I picked her up by the waist and pushed her towards the ballroom.

"You owe me, Ramona. Come on, one dance." Whether she would give in or not, I was determined to get her mind off the phantom and the best way to do that is with a dance.

"Fine, but just one!" I set her down on her feet and we weaved our way though the crowds of people and into the ballroom. She gave a playful huff after we had found an empty spot on the dance floor. We got ready for the dance and started gliding across the room after the music had started.

I wad determined to make this dance turn into the perfect moment. It never failed, but every time I tried to have a decent and somewhat romantic moment with her, something had to go wrong. But not this time, this time I would make it perfect. Since this was a slow ballroom dance, our torsos were pressed against each other and I felt pounding on my chest. I wasn't sure if it was my heart pounding or hers, but I knew that there was no way this could go wrong. I felt her place her head on my chest and our dancing got slower. Our dance ended when the music did and I was surprised nothing spoiled it. Our bodies separated and we made our way towards the edge of the crowd, near the exit.

"It's getting late, I've done what I came here to do, I'm exhausted, and I'm going home. And thanks for the dance." I nodded and I walked with her down the stairs. The ballroom was on the fourth floor and since this place had no elevators so we were forced to take the stairs. We walked side by side down the stairs and had gotten about halfway down until Ramona sped ahead of me one stair and stopped me in my tracks. She had a paw on my chest and her voice got quiet.

"Look behind me," she whispered, "please tell me that's not who I think it is." I looked past her and I noticed a masked raccoon making his way up the stairs. I couldn't be sure, but it looked a lot like the phantom.

"He'll recognize me if it's him. My mask only covers half of my face, he'll see me!" she whispered harshly, "You've got to help me out here!" I had a plan in mind but I didn't know if it would work. I figured it couldn't hurt and got ready to put it into action.

"Alright, just tell me when he walks past." I muttered. Her face twisted and confusion flooded over her face.

"What do you mean when he-" I cut her off by quickly crashing my lips against hers. I figured that I could cover the other half of her face up with my own and the man could walk by casually. She was obviously taken back by my actions but eventually went along with it after a few seconds. Her arms snaked around my neck while mine went around my waist in an attempt to make this as realistic as possible.

"Is he gone yet?" I mumbled through our kiss.

"No, not yet," she mumbled before pulling my face closer to hers again. We kept our kiss going until Ramona patted my neck and pulled away, "He just passed," I turned to look behind me and saw no one there. Even if he had just passed us, he'd still be on the stairs. There was no other ways to get off the stairs. I glanced back to Ramona and she gave me a wink before allowing herself to slide down the railing of the stairs.

"That's why you don't trust thieves!" she shouted after she reached the bottom. I snorted and hung over the banister so she was still in my sights.

"You're a little sneak, Ramona Bandicoot! Tricking a man into a longer kiss is underhanded!" I laughed to myself when she turned around quickly and shot back a reply.

"You fell for it, Cooper!" she winked again before waltzing out the front door. I stood up straight and finished walking down the stairs after accepting the fact Ramona Bandicoot had once again pulled a fast one on me. Even under the threat of the phantom once again, she never lost her ability to be a thief.


End file.
